SAE Industry Associations

SAE Grade Parameters

Numbers applied to automotive lubricants to indicate their viscosity range.

SAPS Chemicals

Sulphated Ash, Phosphorous And Sulphur. Low levels required for catalytic converters used to reduce diesel particulates from engines to meet European standards.

Saybolt, Saybolt Universal Seconds, SUS, or SSU Parameters

The most common viscosity measurement prior to the international acceptance of centistokes, SUS measurements are now obsolete. To convert measurements from SUS at 100F to an approximate value in cSt at 40C (ISO viscosity grade), divide the SUS value by 5.

Scoring Processes

Scratches on mechanical parts in the direction of motion caused by abrasive contaminants.

Scourability Properties

The ability to wash away any lubricant used during the manufacture of textiles

SCR Processes

Selective catalytic reduction is a means of converting nitrogen oxides, also referred to as NOx with the aid of a catalyst into diatomic nitrogen, N2, and water, H2O.

Scuffing Processes

Abnormal engine wear due to localized welding and fracture. It can be prevented through the use of antiwear, extreme-pressure and friction modifier additives. See adhesion.

Semi Fluid Properties

Any substance having attributes of both a liquid and a solid. Similar to semi solid but being more closely related to a liquid than a solid.

SHC Products

Abbreviation for synthesised hydro carbon

Shear Stability Properties

Ability of a lubricant to withstand shearing forces without being degraded to lower viscosity or consistency.

Shear Stress Parameters

A unit of frictional force overcome in sliding one layer of fluid along another. This is typically measured in pounds per square foot, with pounds representing the frictional force, and square feet representing the area of contact between the sliding laye

Sludge Chemicals

A thick, dark residue, normally of mayonnaise consistency, that accumulates on non-moving engine interior surfaces. Generally removable by wiping unless baked into a carbonaceous consistency, its formation is associated with insolubles overloading the lub

Solid Chemicals

Any substance having definite shape that it does not readily relinquish. More generally, any substance in which the force required to produce a deformation depends upon the magnitude of the deformation rather than the rate of deformation.

Solvency Properties

The ability to dissolve into a solution producing a homogeneous physical mixture. The degree of solvency varies along with the rate of dissolution depending on the amount of heat added to the solution.

Solvent Extraction Processes

A traditional refinery process that is used to upgrade chemical and physical properties in the manufacture of lube oil base stocks. The process relies on the solubility of impurities (especially aromatic components that may also contain sulphur and nitrog

Specific Gravity Parameters

The mass/volume relationship of lubricants used in determining volume requirements for specific mass of products.

Stick-slip motion Engine Performance

Erratic, noisy motion characteristic of some machine ways, due to the starting friction encountered by a machine part at each end of its back-and forth (reciprocating) movement. This undesirable effect can be overcome with a way lubricant, which reduces s